The eclipsing shadow of his large body.
The propulsion of his anger.
The rapid fall of his weight.
Before I realize I’m making a huge mistake, I scream bloody murder and step to the side, allowing Keller to fall to the floor, landing on his back with a loud plop.
The earth around us shakes.
The water on the coffee table rattles.
And a chilling air falls over us as my knees knock together in fear.
Dear God . . . I let him fall.
Deafening silence fills the room as Elias and I both stare at Keller on the floor, neither of us quite sure what to do. What to say.
But someone has to say something.
Someone has to bridge the silence.
Someone has to make this better, and since Elias can’t seem to find his words, I step up.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Perhaps next time, you give a girl a warning?”
Keller scrambles to his feet and gives me the scariest look I’ve ever seen.
I shrink in place.
“Is, uh, is your butt butt okay?” Why did I say butt twice?
Probably because I’ve never seen Keller’s eyebrows so dangerously pointed before.
Keller glances up at Elias and says, “We’re done here,” and then he takes off without me.
Well . . . I don’t think that could have gone any worse.
ChapterFour
KELLER
A familiar body sits next to me at the island in the main kitchen. It’s very rare to see someone from the royal family in the main kitchen since it’s where all the food is prepped and served. It’s why I find solace in it.
That and the booze they have on hand.
“Care to explain to me why Lilly is a bumbling mess in her room right now?” Lara asks as she steals my tumbler from my hand and sips my whiskey.
I press my face into my hands and lean on the island. “Fuck,” I mumble.
“Ah, one of those days.”
“Yeah . . . one of those days,” I breathe out.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”
What’s going on is that my life feels like it’s spiraling out of control, and I don’t know how to stop it. Between my new responsibilities, the wedding, the marital classes, the invasion of my privacy . . . I’m losing my goddamn mind. It’s all coming in at once.
After a few moments, I say, “I love her, Lara.”
